A Miami-Dade judge dismissed a resident’s lawsuit challenging the county’s no-bid sale of public land to Team Beckham United for a new soccer stadium in Overtown.

Judge Rodolfo Ruiz cited “economic development” as the reason for dismissing the lawsuit, according to the plaintiff, Bruce Matheson.

Matheson said he plans to appeal.

His lawsuit, which was filed in July, cited a Florida statute governing sale of public lands to block the no-bid sale.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez struck the deal to sell the 3-acre county truck depot to Beckham and his partners for $9 million, allowing Beckham’s team to complete its site for a privately-financed 25,000-seat soccer stadium, in return for 50 jobs and public benefits.

Matheson, who owns property in Spring Garden across Northwest 7th Avenue from the site, had said he would have participated in bidding for the site.

He said a bidding process would have garnered more profit for county taxpayers.

Beckham is not named in the lawsuit.

Gimenez’s spokesman, Michael Hernandez, called the dismissal a victory.

“Mr. Matheson has been an opponent of professional sports in Miami-Dade County, and Mayor Gimenez and his administration are proud to have supported Miami Beckham United’s pursuit of a privately-financed soccer stadium in the city of Miami,” Hernandez said.

A Miami-Dade judge dismissed a resident’s lawsuit challenging the county’s no-bid sale of public land to Team Beckham United for a new soccer stadium in Overtown.

Judge Rodolfo Ruiz cited “economic development” as the reason for dismissing the lawsuit, according to the plaintiff, Bruce Matheson.

Matheson said he plans to appeal.

His lawsuit, which was filed in July, cited a Florida statute governing sale of public lands to block the no-bid sale.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez struck the deal to sell the 3-acre county truck depot to Beckham and his partners for $9 million, allowing Beckham’s team to complete its site for a privately financed 25,000-seat soccer stadium, in return for 50 jobs and public benefits.

Matheson, who owns property in Spring Garden across Northwest 7th Avenue from the site, had said he would have participated in bidding for the site.

He said a bidding process would have garnered more profit for county taxpayers.

Beckham was not named in the lawsuit.

Gimenez’s spokesman, Michael Hernandez, called the dismissal a victory.

“Mr. Matheson has been an opponent of professional sports in Miami-Dade County, and Mayor Gimenez and his administration are proud to have supported Miami Beckham United’s pursuit of a privately-financed soccer stadium in the city of Miami,” Hernandez said.

Fans lined up hours Thursday to see their favorite soccer team rolled up in Miami.

“This is probably the only opportunity we’ll ever get to see them,” Fernando Denis said.

FC Barcelona, which boasts some of the best soccer players in the world, proudly announced their arrival in Miami online. And hours later the team showed up for a practice match at Barry University– which was closed to the public.

“We came here with a purpose to meet them and we get here and they telling us ‘Oh you can’t get in.’ It’s disappointing,” Frank Rodriguez said.

Neymar de Silva Santos Jr. the team’s popular forward, suited up despite rumors that he’s on the verge of leaving the team.

But all eyes were on Lionel Messi, who is arguably the biggest name in the world of soccer.

Kicking around the soccer ball ahead of the much anticipated El Clasico match at Hard Rock Stadium were tickets range from $250 into the thousands to see FC Barcelona take on rival Real Madrid.

“It’s a little pricey for us,” Rodriguez said.

So watching the practice games and waiting for players to arrive is as good as it gets for now.

Christian Pulisic rescued the United States with a pair of second-half goals, and the Americans beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 on Thursday night to move into third place at the halfway point in the final round of World Cup qualifying.

Pulisic, an 18-year-old phenom from Hershey, Pennsylvania, ended a frustrating start for the U.S. offense with a goal in the 52nd minute, then added another in the 62nd.

“It just took us a little while to get going,” Pulisic said.

Pulisic made his international debut 15 months ago and has seven goals and five assists in 15 appearances, including four goals and three assists in his last four contests.

“He’s having fun,” U.S. coach Bruce Arena said. “He’s a natural for the game. He sees the game very well.”

After crashing to an 0-2 start in the hexagonal of the North and Central American and Caribbean region, the U.S. is back among the top three, which earn berths at next year’s tournament in Russia. Mexico leads with 10 points, followed by Costa Rica, which has seven and is ahead of the U.S. on goal difference. Panama (five), Honduras (four) and Trinidad (three) trail.

The fourth-place team advances to a playoff against Asia’s No. 5 nation.

In late games, Costa Rica hosted Panama and Mexico was home against Honduras.

The Americans have three wins and three draws since Arena replaced Jurgen Klinsmann as coach in November. The team’s biggest test in Arena’s second stint comes Sunday at Mexico.

“It’s going to be a tough one down there,” Pulisic said.

Kenwyne Jones nearly put the Soca Warriors in the 33rd minute, beating goalkeeper Tim Howard to a cross but putting a header off the crossbar. Clint Dempsey John Brooks and Jozy Altidore all had good chances, but T&T keeper Jan-Michael Williams made several sprawling saves.

After helping Borussia Dortmund win last month’s German Cup final, becoming the youngest American to earn a medal for a European club, Pulisic had another breakthrough moment with his second two-goal game for the U.S.

Michael Bradley forced a turnover, DeAndre Yedlin recovered the ball and passed to Darlington Nagbe, who went around a defender and dribbled upfield. He passed to Clint Dempsey, who sent the ball back wide to Yedlin. He crossed to Pulisic, who slid and scored from 4 yards with his left foot, then sprinted for a corner and slid on both knees to celebrate.

Trinidad’s Nathan Lewis beat Howard off the ensuing kickoff, but Yedlin had stepped up, causing an offside call that disallowed the goal.

Pulisic started the run that led to the second goal, passing to Yedlin, who sent the ball to Altidore, Pulisic burst past Kavan George and slotted in a right-footed shot from about 10 yards to Williams’ short side.

“He’s a fantastic player,” Trinidad coach Dennis Lawrence said.”

Bobby Wood nearly got a third goal, hitting a post shortly after replacing Altidore in the 83rd.

The U.S. is unbeaten against Trinidad in home qualifiers, winning nine matches and drawing one and outscoring the Soca Warriors 21-2 — including 17 in a row since 1989.

The game at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park is at about 5,200 feet, which will prepare the Americans for Sunday night’s qualifier at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, which is around 7,820 feet above sea level.

This time, there was no need for snow shovels in Denver. The weather was partly cloudy and 82 degrees, a contrast for the Snow Classico in March 2013, a 1-0 win over Costa Rica.

Both support the city as sole jurisdiction over health and safety at the site to be Miami Beckham United’s Overtown stadium site.

“We have to protest the right of our officers, number one, to earn off-duty pay in the city of Miami,” Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez said. “And number two, we have jurisdiction.”

Miami city manager Daniel Alfonso raised a question of why the city should police a “property that is not county owned, that’s privately owned.”

The answer to that lies in Miami-Dade County politics.

Tuesday, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz made his vote on the county’s soccer land deal contingent upon county police and fire sharing in the lucrative off-duty jobs at future games and events.

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